


Dejected

by Joking611



Series: Cari'ssi'mi Drabbles [43]
Category: Mass Effect, Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-15
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-12-15 15:14:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11808591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joking611/pseuds/Joking611
Summary: Shepard has to get away for a bit





	Dejected

**Author's Note:**

> Challenge Yourself: A Month Of Fanfiction 2017
> 
> Sunday 8/13's Prompt: Hurt/Comfort

She’d been drinking nearly six hours now.

Going to a club was supposed to be fun. Well, it used to be. She remembered it being fun, anyway. That was a long time ago. Back when she was just a grunt, or even as a young officer. She’d always been willing to get shitfaced. No need for a plan, just drink and see what happened. The kinds of places she frequented were perfect for that, and tended to be filled with the right kind of people to make things happen. Any given night saw her with a fifty fifty shot at ending up bloodied or in someone else’s bed.

Most of those nights she hadn’t cared which.

It was different now. She was respectable, a goddam hero. Had been for a while.

She never thought she’s miss those days. She’d been so angry then. Angry at her father, at the batarians, at the whole damn galaxy. A few had successfully penetrated that shell. Karin, Anderson, Poena. They’d made it through the gauntlet she’d thrown between her and the universe. She missed her anger. She wondered where it went. She didn’t care when she was angry.

Funny how death changes a person.

Now she was running away again. She’d left Earth in disarray, unwilling to bend to Alliance wishes. Humanity could damn well step up if it wanted to, but she wasn’t going to lift them over the other races. She’d tried to be fair, but that always left someone questioning her decisions, outraged at her choices. “Traitor,” they’d called her. Even Hackett had turned on her in the end. She’d felt like a failure when she left the Sol system behind, a broken Council trying to lead where none would follow.

Thessia was better, but only just. There she’d been lauded, praised for her work, for her sacrifices. Starving families offered her their meals. People there would wait for days to be able to see her, and those who couldn’t see, for the privilege of hearing her voice.

And Liara, her love, her life. That beautiful smile, those shining eyes. The way she went to pieces at Liara’s breathy “Hello, Shepard.” The way she wanted to cry when she saw the maiden's prosthetic.

She’d had to leave, to get away. Just for a few days. Time to be alone, put herself back together, or at least keep from falling further apart. Liara had objected, and then negotiated. Liara had insisted she bring Denai, and Denai had brought commandos.

Now she was in Afterlife. The bartender only knew her as “ryncol”, but obviously there was more. No one ever came into Afterlife with protection. Aria wouldn’t allow it, allow someone to challenge her authority. Not even a drunk. Not here, not at the seat of her power.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Aria slid onto the stool next to her. The matriarch slapped the glass out of her hand, and the bartender had two salarian whiskies on the bar before Shepard’s drink hit the ground.

“Don’t drink that shit here, Shepard. It makes me look bad.”

Sarah grunted as she picked up the whisky. She’d have to pick up the pace if she ever wanted to get ahead of her synthetic components.

“Trouble at home? T’Soni kick you out?” Aria’s smirk faded when Shepard didn’t respond. “Probably not, or all the commandos you brought would have their eyes on you, and not me.”

“Didn’t bring ‘em,” Shepard signaled for another drink.

Aria nodded to the bartender. “Oh? Pretty sure they came in on the same ship you did.”

Shepard knocked back her drink, and waved her glass in the general direction of Denai at the other end of the bar. “They’re hers.”

The matriarch glared at the matron until Denai looked away. “They’re hers, she’s yours. Whatever.” She moved her drink to the side as Shepard reached for it. “I don’t think so.” Shepard lunged across her, but Aria stopped the human with the practiced ease of someone who’d been handling drunks for centuries.

“What are you doing here, Shepard?”

“I was trying to drink!” Sarah attempted to twist away from the hold Aria had on her wrist.

 Aria just shook her head. “You were trying to get my attention. You have it. What are you doing here?”

“Nothing! I just need a break.”

“That’s better.” Aria released her hold and slid the drink to Shepard. “So if it isn’t trouble at home, what is it? Usually my next guesses would be money or job, but you’re pretty much immune to those concerns, aren’t you?”

“Failed,” murmured Shepard as she indicated for another whisky.

“Finally!” Aria sounded almost cheerful. “Guilt. I haven’t had one of those all day.” She watched attentively while Shepard finished a fourth whisky. “It’s time to go home, Shepard.”

The spectre’s head turned in an instant. “Home? I just got here.”

The barest of smiles touched Aria’s lips. “You came here to get kicked out. To relive the glory days. These are your glory days. The rest of your life are your glory days. You wanted someone to tell you to go home, someone who could stand up to you and make it stick. Here I am. Go home to your bondmate, she’s waiting for you.”

“Whadda you know about it?”

“I know Omega. I am Omega.”

“Heard that before.” Shepard’s shoulders slumped.

“I am Omega,” she repeated. “I’ve given up everything for her. My daughter, everyone I’ve ever loved, I’ve given up for Omega. When Petrovsky took Omega from me, he took them too, he took her. You gave her back to me.” She smiled a death’s head smile. “Killing that fucker Leng was a bonus.”

“What does that…”

“Look Shepard, you’re a hero, but you didn’t do any of it for you, for me, for that pissy matron over there giving me the stink-eye. You did it for T’Soni.”

“Of course I love Liara, but…”

“Enough,” Aria interrupted. “I’ve been where you are. Where you’re trying to rationalize the choices you’ve made, the sacrifices, the losses. She’s your Omega. When the weight of the galaxy gets too heavy, just look at your bondmate, and remind yourself that you did it for her.”

“I don’t know if you can understand what I’ve been through, what I’ve seen.”

Aria shook her head. “I don’t need to.” She waited to see if Shepard would try to contradict before continuing.

“Go home, Shepard.”

Sarah slowly stood from her barstool, and turned for the door without another word.

“Oh, and Shepard?”

The human turned.

“ _You_ drink for free,” Aria indicated Denai and the various commandos. “These fuckers pay.”


End file.
